Home Improvement Articles, resources and tips
Appliances
The average homeowner will replace any given appliance about once every 15 years, so it's extremely important to make wise decisions when purchasing. One key factor for most consumers today is if the appliance has the Energy Star label. Energy Star is a joint effort between the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy and helps identify products that meet strict energy-efficiency requirements. (Currently the only appliances that can qualify are clothes washers, dehumidifiers, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers, and room air conditioners.) Homeowners nationwide who bought Energy Star-labeled products saved $14 billion on their utility bills in 2006 alone.
Aesthetics also come into play. For several years, stainless steel and its imitations have been very popular, especially in high-end homes, but recently more bold colors, such as white, cherry red, and midnight blue have been showing up in kitchens and laundry rooms. Similarly more Americans are going for sleek, European-looking appliances than ever before. In fact, modern is the fastest growing design theme in kitchens today.
Many appliances now come with so many bells and whistles, it's hard to sort out what's actually needed from fluff. Among the myriad choices are refrigerators and even a range hood with televisions, all types of speed-cook ovens, and costly professional-style ranges. Keeping all this straight can be confusing, but be sure to buy only what you need, not what will impress you neighbors.
Of course, price is always a factor. Always shop around and use unbiased resources both in print and online before investing in any appliance.
Once you have the perfect refrigerator or washer picked out, you'll need professional installation services. Usually if you're working with a general contractor, architect, or kitchen and bath designer, he or she can subcontract out those services and also set up an installation timeline that makes sense. (For example, making sure a stove is installed after a backsplash is finished.) If the job is really small (just replacing one or two appliances), you could hire installers yourself.
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